Joseph Cloud, III appears in the Surrey Co. Tax Lists of 1771, 1772, and
1786. He was a Captain in the North Carolina troops during the Revolutionary
War according to several pension applications (ex. Lt. John Martin of NC,
who served under Captain Cloud). He was appointed by the court as County
Surveyor when Stokes was created in 1789. He was a Militia Captain in Stokes
during 1791 - 1804. One district was even named Cloud's District, later Peter's
Creek. He lived in the Northern part of Peter's Creek Township, which borders
Patrick Co., VA and was very close to William Cloud of Patrick Co. who was
probably his brother.

The 1790 census of Stokes shows a Joseph Cloud household with 2 males
over 16 and 2 males under 16. This was probably Joseph III and his sons George,
Jeremiah, and Joseph IV. Jeremiah married Elizabeth Martin, daughter of the
John Martin whom Joseph III had served with in the Revolutionary War. Jeremiah
died in the War of 1812 in Norfolk VA. Joseph IV got involved in a scandal
over an illegimate child in 1820, was summoned to court, and found to have
been the father of the child (The NC archives contain the bastardy bonds
for the case). This must have been very embarassing for Joseph III who was,
at that time, the Justice of the Peace and a man of considerable prominence
in the county. He was even one of the JP's who had to serve the summons on
his son.